The Gemara mentions a concept called Chibas HaKodesh, literally the affection for the holy. In a halakhic sense, normally a food product needs to be willingly exposed to water or certain other liquids before it is deemed receptive to ritual impurity.  However, the principle of Chibas HaKodesh bestows a significance upon the sacrificial food and renders it on a level to accept ritual impurity.  To explain this more, let us note that vessels or food need to have significance before they are able to accept impurity, that is why broken vessels or raw food not introduced to processing (as defined by willful exposure to certain liquids) do not become impure.

There is a beautiful mystical concept that the Bnei Yissaschar (Agra DeKallah Bereishis Rabbah 5) explains, utilizing the term Chibas HaKodesh to refer to a particular way that Hashem and the Jewish people overcome the impossible gap between the His Infinite Presence and regular mortals.  There is a Midrash Rabbah (Bereshis 5) that describes a number of instances whereby G-d miraculously fit a large number of people into a small area.  In one particular instance, the Midrash describes how when Yehoshua was addressing the Jewish people, he brought them all near to stand between the poles of the Ark, that is, the entire Jewish people!  The Midrash then says, this shows the love of Hashem for the Jewish people.  Bnei Yissaschar explains, the notion of the impossibility of fitting into a confined space is also a metaphor for the way in which Hashem has to limit Himself in order to make room for material reality.  After all, the Omnipotent encompasses all of existence and so for us to exist, let alone exercise a sense of free-will and intellectual function, we must be separate from Him.

This separation is the ultimate indicator of love, because it is Hashem’s love that ironically allows for Him to somehow pull back and make room for us.

The Bene Yissaschar quotes an obviously metaphoric aggadah (Bava Metziah 84a) where certain sages were described as so corpulent that a disrespectful person wondered how is it possible for them to father children, as they could not even properly be intimate with their wives due to their huge bellies. The response was, “Love can overcome, and push back the flesh.”  The meaning was that with pure love, even Hashem can make space for humans that otherwise would be impossible.

Most people think of love as merger. While there is some truth to that, it comes from a wish to join with the other.  However joining with another can also lead to obliteration of the other or to the obliteration of self, such as when a drop of water is absorbed by a giant ocean.  G-d’s greatest love is allowing us to exist and have free will and a separate identity.  Parents and lovers, must also learn to love by allowing the other to exist independently.  Sometimes we wish we could get the people we love to do what we want but we miss the point. If we loved them we should allow them sometimes to do what they want and be their true selves.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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